


Death Questions

by DeckofDragons



Category: A Hat in Time (Video Game)
Genre: BFF's, Fluff, Gen, Hugs, Mentions of Death, Mentions of Vanessa's Manor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-20
Updated: 2019-11-20
Packaged: 2021-02-13 14:04:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21495505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeckofDragons/pseuds/DeckofDragons
Summary: It's rude to ask a ghost how they died. Hat Kid does it anyway.
Relationships: Hat Kid & Snatcher (A Hat in Time)
Comments: 18
Kudos: 216





	Death Questions

**Author's Note:**

> I'm finally writing fic for this fandom! I wanted to back when it first came out but I was deeply entrenched in another fandom at the time and kinda afraid to write other things, that fear outweighed my desire to write for this fandom. But I'm currently replaying AHIT now and all my love for it (and especially Snatcher even if I haven't reached the Subcon Forest yet) has returned full force so here I am. :)

Just when it had finally started to seem like Hat Kid had left for good, she was back. Snatcher couldn’t have been more disappointed, when he’d sensed a living thing entering his forest, he’d been excited by the prospect of another soul to play with and add to his collection. But no, it was just Hat Kid, skipping along merrily down the path, unbothered by the dark forest surrounding her.

Hidden within the forest’s deepest shadows, Snatcher followed her as she skipped right up to the place he’d first popped in on her and stopped. She stood there in silence, clearly waiting for him to show up. Well he wasn’t going to show up; he was already having a bad day, it was his Deathday –it was impossible for him to know exactly the date of his death but it was for sure around this time of year – so he was _not_ in the mood to socialize.

Hat Kid apparently wasn’t having that though as it wasn’t even five minutes before she lifted her hands to cup her mouth. “Snatcher, I know you’re there,” she called. “I can feel you watching me. So come out please.”

Snatcher could just ignore her and leave. But she was one of the most stubborn people possibly to ever exist, she’d come find him if she _really_ wanted to. And… why was she even here anyway? She’d gotten all the Time Pieces scattered about the Forest – and had made a fool of him while doing so – what more could she possibly want?

He waited another minute or two, when she was shifting to call out again, before teleporting behind her. “_Boo!_”

She jumped, brightening his day a bit, before snapping around to face. “Hello,” she said, composure regained almost immediately, ruining it.

Snatcher held back an annoyed sigh. “What do you want Kid? I thought our business was settled.”

“We’re BFF’s now though so it isn’t business.”

“For the last time, that’s _not_ how contracts work.”

“Hmmm…” She lifted a hand to her chin as if thinking hard about something. “_I_ think it is. We’re friends now rather you like it or not.”

“Why would you want to be friends with me?” He’d literally tried to take her soul.

“Because I think you’re cool.” Well at least she was complimenting him. “Anyway, what I came here for! You remember when I went to that haunted castle place?”

“Yes.” How could Snatcher forget? He _hated_ that place with a burning passion. Hat Kid bringing it up only made his mood even worse.

“I learned something about the scary lady who owns the place. Apparently, she used to have a prince that she was dating. But then some misunderstanding happened between them involving another girl and she chained him up in the cellar to die. The prince is you, right?” She pointed at him. “That’s how you died? And that’s why you’re so evil and powerful because you’re a vengeful spirit?”

Snatcher struggled to keep his expression straight. Even being separated from it via the veil of death and years, it was still unpleasant to think about. Like most ghosts, the circumstances of his death were what he remembered most vividly from his life. The biting chains and cold, hunger and thirst, his feet unable to reach the ground, putting all his weight on his shoulders, he wouldn’t wish such a death even on Vanessa herself.

“Kid,” he said, crossing his arms and giving her his best disapproving glare. “Has anyone ever told you that it’s _rude_ to ask a ghost how they died?”

“So it’s true then? That’s how you died?”

If Snatcher still had proper teeth, he’d be grinding them. “What did I just say?”

She cringed a little, from shame though, not fear. “I’m sorry, I just wanted to know for sure. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“I’m _not_ upset.” It was just something he _didn’t want to talk about_. It was none of her business or anyone else’s so it was time for her to get the heck out of his forest. But before he could command her to leave…

“That’s an _awful_ way to die, sorry,” she said. Her expression and tone was one of seemingly _genuine_ sorrow. She felt _sorry_ for him. _Him_, a vengeful angry ghost who had fun forcing people to sign away their soul and do his dirty work at the same time. Was it an act? It was a very good one if it was. Was she going to try to use this against him somehow?

“Kid,” he said, glaring at her as she started closing the distance between them. “I don’t know what you’re trying to accomplish here but…”

_Way_ too close to him now, she wrapped her arms around him and… _hugged_ him. He froze. Being alive meant she was <strike>pleasantly</strike> unnaturally warm against his ghostly form. _How_ long had been since he’d last been in physical contact with another being? And how long since that contact was affectionate in nature and not intended to harm him?

“Oh, you’re very soft.” She snuggled her face into him. “Kinda cold too but that’s okay.” Thankfully she finally let go and stepped back a couple seconds later.

Snatcher jerked back into motion, pulling away from her. “What was _that_ for?”

“I felt like you needed a hug so I gave you one. That’s what friends do for each other. You feel better now?”

‘Better’ wasn’t the word Snatcher would use. Though the shock of this was preferable to the conversation they’d been having before. “Sure, if that’ll make you leave, I feel better.”

“Good!” She smiled at him. “Now I have a gift for you.” She pulled a rectangular box out of her pocket and held it up towards him. “It’s a cellphone,” she said when he hesitated to reach for it. “I already have my number and my ship’s contact number programmed into it so you can call or text me whenever. I also downloaded some games into it for fun and some e-books because I know you like to read. There’s a user manual in the box too in case you don’t know how to use it.”

Snatcher reached over and accepted it. He knew what a phone was – being dead and ruling over Subcon Forest didn’t mean he didn’t get out sometimes and keep up to date on technology and other stuff happening around the world – but he wasn’t familiar with term ‘cellphone’. Inside was a manual as promised and underneath that was a device that was more screen than anything else. “It has no buttons.” Was this a prank? How was he supposed to do anything with it if it had no buttons?

“It’s a touch screen so the buttons pop up on the screen when it’s on,” Hat Kid explained. “You’re smart, I’m sure you’ll figure out how to use it in no time. But since I know you want to be grumpy, I’ll leave you be for now. Call or text me later.” She waved at him before doing whatever it was she did to make her spaceship transport her back up to it.

Relieved to be alone at last, Snatcher teleported to his favourite reading spot: a large comfy chair hidden inside a hollow tree. With the help of the manual he turned the cellphone on. The picture on its home screen was of Hat Kid, smiling wide and wearing three pairs of sunglasses and holding up the peace sign with one hand, the other hand clearly holding the camera. It was a cute picture, for Hat Kid anyway.

Maybe he would call her later after exploring all this device had to offer. Or maybe he could _prank_ call her. That could be fun and she’d have no one but herself to blame for the annoyance. He’d of course show off this bit of alien technology to his subordinates later, they’d be impressed and probably assume he stole it off of Hat Kid – a presumption he was going to let them keep. For now though, he was going to distract himself with it and figure out how it worked and possibly try to read one of those ‘e-books’ she’s supposedly downloaded onto it.


End file.
